Knights dominate Ada in NWC victory

Van Wert independent sports

CONVOY — The Crestview Knights took little time in dictating how its homecoming game with the Ada Bulldogs would go. The Knights scored on their first possession and never looked back in a dominating 63-12 Northwest Conference victory over Ada, which came into the game with just one loss overall and a perfect 4-0 record in the NWC.

Crestview compiled 543 yards of total offense – 396 of that on the ground – while limiting the Bulldogs to 241 yards of offense, nearly all of that through the air. The Knights had 21 first downs to just 11 for Ada.

Quarterback Preston Zaleski found Nate Owens in the open for a 10-yard touchdown pass with 7:25 ticks left on the first-quarter clock. Kameron Grubaugh kicked the extra point and the Knights took a lead they would never relinquish.

Crestview also scored the next touchdown on a 4-yard run by Justin Overmeyer with 2:57 left in the first quarter. Grubaugh again kicked the PAT and it was 14-0, Knights. Ada then scored one of its two touchdowns on a 24-yard pass from Matt Wilcox to Spencer Archer. The point-after was no good and Crestview led 14-6 with 23 seconds left in the quarter.

The second quarter was the Knights’ big quarter, with four scores in the quarter. The first came on a 34-yard run by Malcolm Oliver with 10:42 left in the quarter. Grubaugh ran the ball in for two points on the PAT attempt and it was 22-6, Crestview.

The Knights scored just over 2 ½ minutes later when Jake Lippi ran the ball in from Ada 2-yard-line to make it 28-6. Grubaugh kicked the extra point to make it 29-6 with 8 minutes even left in the second quarter.

Lippi scored again on an 81-yard run with 3:12 remaining in the quarter. Grubaugh kicked the PAT and Crestview led 36-6.

The Knights’ final score of the first half came with 23 seconds remaining in the half when Zaleski found Oliver for a 29-yard aerial scoring strike. Grubaugh again kicked the point-after (he made six on the night) for a halftime score of 43-6.

Ada scored in the third quarter on a 16-yard pass from Wilcox to Archer with 9:05 remaining in the quarter. The PAT was no good and it was 43-12, Knights.

Crestview then scored on a 46-yard run by Lippi – his third of the night – and Grubaugh kicked the PAT for a 38-point lead, 50-12.

The Knights ended the scoring in the fourth stanza with two touchdowns, one a 4-yard run by Zaleski at the 11:04 mark, and the second a 10-yard run by Zion Zawko with 3:12 left on the game clock.

Lippi led the Knights in rushing with 155 yards and three touchdowns on eight carries (19.4-yard average). Zaleski also had 68 yards and a touchdown on 11 carries, while Oliver carried the ball nine times for 57 yards and a TD.

Zaleski was 6 of 7 passing for 147 yards and two touchdowns, while not throwing an interception. Bulldog quarterback Wilcox was 21 of 37 for 211 yards, two touchdowns and an interception.

Top receivers for Crestview were Isaiah Simerman, with three catches for 78 yards, while Braden Van Cleave caught one pass for 30 yards and Oliver also caught a pass for 29 yards and a touchdown.

With the win, the Knights go to 7-2 overall and 3-1 in the NWC, while Ada drops to 5-2 overall and 4-1 in league play.